Yasuomi Umetsu’s famous anime Kite is released on DVD and Blu-ray soon.
Director: Ralph Ziman
Cast: India Eisley, Samuel L. Jackson, Callan McAuliffe, Carl Beukes, Terence Bridgett, Deon Lotz,
Film Genre – Action
Certificate – 15
Running Time – 90 mins
Available – DVD: £15.99 / Cat.No: ABD1224 Blu-ray: £19.99 / Cat.No: ABB8208 http://amzn.to/1rPxD6U
KITE is available on DVD & Blu-ray 13th October
Yasuomi Umetsu’s hard-edged anime KITE is finally making its way on to DVD and Blu-ray this week. The highly controversial graphic story of hard action and illicit eroticism developed a cult following for its over-the-top violence and the cartoon was subsequently banned in numerous countries.
Screenwriter Brian Cox has altered the storyline and made it slightly less grim compared to the original plot. The reconfigured story is set in a post-financial collapse in the future, where Sawa (India Eisley), a young girl whose parents were violently murdered when she was 12-years-old, vows to avenge their death and dismantle a prostitution ring lead by the mysterious Emir.
In a world which is suffering from a collapse of state security, resulting in seedy gangs tormenting people on the streets, and from children being sold to international flesh-cartels, her only solace comes in the form of Karl Aker (Samuel L. Jackson), her father’s former police partner who has ‘looked after’ her ever since. He is a renegade cop who believes that the only way to eradicate the problems of a corrupt and failed state is to take the law into his own hands.
Whilst being under his charge, she has trained to become a deadly assassin and in order to infiltrate the cartel and eradicate him and his gang, she feigns being a young girl and disguises her identity with a multitude of fluorescent wigs – not the greatest way to blend in!
After the trauma of losing her parents and assassinating gang members on a daily basis, Sawa has resulted to the use of drugs called Amp to erase specific memories from her past, largely based around her family and their murder. Being unable to cope with their death, she becomes addicted to the drug and seeks comfort in not remembering how they look or even who she is. The man initiating the Amp for her? Aker, the detective who has taken her in and supports her assassination missions and unbeknown to Sawa, he emotionally manipulates her, whilst providing a range of weaponry such as time-delayed detonating bullets and a killer vibrator.
Metaphorically Sawa’s life is like the golden kite she remembers, never quite being free as someone is pulling her string and controlling her.
As Jackson’s Aker remains the looming darkness and puppet master, her friend from the past Callan McAuliffe is the light trying to cut the strings. He is the closest thing to a ‘normal’ human being for Sawa in a brutal world of criminal disorder.
The film provides gory action aplenty with detonating bullets being fired, exploding cars, mass murder, knives in the neck of gang leaders and chaos on the streets. Pretty much what you would expect from this movie.
In a genre where strong female assassins are becoming popular, it is inevitable that Eisley be compared to the likes of Scarlett Johansson‘s Lucy or Saoirse Ronan‘s Hanna, but it just isn’t quite of the same standard. She delivers the role of a steely, damaged character well and cites female empowerment, but the storyline doesn’t evoke the same intriguing execution.
Jackson performs the role of his stylish, sly and self-absorbant character well, but rather predictably the audience can guess that there is a twist to the story and that Aker may not be all that he seems.
Overall, for those who enjoy action and gangland gore, this movie will appeal to them as it ticks those boxes in all the right places. It is quick-paced, futuristic and sassy and will pack-a-punch for an audience looking for futuristic action entertainment.
KITE is available to buy on DVD & Blu-ray 13th October.
Verdict
Here’s the trailer for the film:
[…] It is quick-paced, sassy and packs-a-punch – take a look at our review here. […]
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